Episode 33: Everything You Want Is on the Other Side of...

Synopsis

How bounded is your possibilities space? What do you believe is possible? Are you the person placing limitations, or is it those around you? My point in bringing it up now is that what we believe is possible literally bounds the possibilities space that we will experience.

Attachment to what we’ve personally experienced prevents the imagination from accessing another possibilities or timelines. That's why I always question when people say what’s not possible. I hope this episode inspires you to do the same!

Show Notes

How bounded is your possibilities space? All of us have a current boundary on what our possibilities space includes. What do I mean by this? What do you believe is possible. My question is whether you are the person putting the boundaries up, or whether those in your field are more prone to nay-saying?

I always, always, always question when people say what’s not possible. There’s two reasons. Is it true, and why are they saying it?

I think this habit of questioning is not only one of the greatest reasons for the adventure I’ve lived in my life thus far, and for the fulfillment I have in my experience (as I define it), but it’s also one of the greatest if not THE greatest gift I give to others in partnership through my work.

When I was learning to climb in the backcountry, rock & ice, I had a vision and a belief about what I would accomplish, and a timeline in mind.

I made aggressive goals, and met them safely while pulling my weight on any team I was a part of - because the goals I was setting had "how" vectors as well as they did volume, quantity or speed aspects.

Mt Gimli deep in the Valhallas and was climbed in a day with a very new partner.

Mt Rainier was:

- 4 days in Wyoming

- Two 7 day trips to Banff

- Mt Adams when conditions were weird.

It always caught me by surprise when people would push their own ideas of what is possible - and when - onto others’ pursuits!

I used to wonder that people are not satisfied to only live their own lives, but sometimes feel this compulsion to influence others’ pursuits. The very reason it doesn’t feel quite comfortable to bring this up now is the same reason I never brought it up at the time:

Seeing and saying where this was happening to me was always a small source of shame for me –

I thought they were imposing their beliefs on my picture because of some issue within me.

That this common limitation in others pointed to some weakness in myself.

So I kept silent and internalized the issue unnecessarily.

With time I learned, there are two reasons people do this, it’s fear or a desire to control. Sometimes the latter is also fear in disguise, but sometimes it’s pure wish to control. No judgment – just truth.

My point in bringing it up now is that what we believe is possible literally bounds the possibilities space that we will experience.

Attachment to what we’ve personally experienced prevents the imagination from accessing another possibilities or timelines.

That's why I raise an eyebrow any time someone is inclined to tell me what is not possible. The more you recognize the pattern in action, and where it stems from, and realize it has nothing to do with you, the less affected, more confident, and certain you can be.